Method and apparatus for treating sheet materials



March 16, 1954 M. G. JONES ET AL 2,672,198

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TREATING SHEET MATERIALS Filed Jan. 28, 1952 4 Shegts-Sheet l IN VEN TORS.

- ARTHUR O. RUSSELL MICHAEL GRAVA TT JONES March 16, 1954 M. G. JONES. ET AL 2,672,198

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TREATING SHEET MATERIALS Filed Jan. 28, 1952 4 SheetsSheet 2 INVENTORS. MICHAEL GRAVATT JONES ARTHUR O. RUJELL March 16, 1954 M. G. JONES ET AL 2,672,198

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TREATING SHEET MATERIALS Filed Jan. 28, 1952 4 Sheets-Sheet I5 1 RIGHT LEFT A UTOMAT/C JNVENTORS. MICHAEL GRAVATT dONE-S ARTHUR O. HUS-SELL T Arron n.

March 6, 1954 M. G. JONES ET AL 2,672,198

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TREATING SHEET MATERIALS Filed Jan. 28, 1952 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 RIGHT I LEFT 3 l H 1ND IAUTOMA r/c Fig? 7 i ma PIR INVENTORS. MICHAEL GRAVATT JONES ARTHUR O. RUSSELL B Y J w A77 MEY.

Patented Mar. 16, 1954 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TREATING SHEET MATERIALS Michael Gravatt Jones and Arthur 0. Russell, Fredericksburg, Va.

ApplicationJanuary 28, 1952, Serial No. 268,612

11 Claims.

The present invention is concerned with a method and apparatus for collecting sheets, webs, pellicles, films and the like as a wound package, particularly after such web has passed through a treating or handling machine of considerable length wherein there is a tendency or an opportunity for the travelling sheet to weave from side to side because of possible differences in the thickness orstrength in different portions of the web taken widthwise of a given section of the web. Such differences may cause one or more of the rollers in such a machine about which the web passes to either grip one side of the web better than the other or for some other reason advance one side of the web a little more than another so that the web in effect weaves from'side to'side at regular or irregular intervals which may be more or less frequent depending upon the uniformity or non-uniformity of the web.

"Heretofore, devices have been provided for detecting a lateral shift of a" running web and either shifting the supply, such as an unwinding reel of the web, or compensating for the lateral shift by redirecting the web by means ofcurved or adjustably inclined rolls or guides. Shifting the supply has the disadvantage that it-cannot correct for the material already passed through the machine The use of inclined or curved rollers orguides to correct the travel of' the web has the disadvantage that irregular' frictionalefiects may be exerted upon the web tending to'stretch it differently in various parts of its width and also, in along machine involving a large. number of: passes about guiding' or feeding rollers, detection and compensation must be effected at numerous places along the travel of the'web.

A primary object of the present invention is to provide a" system for detecting any lateral shifting of the web nearthe end of its travel through the machine and very shortly before its collection in the'form of a wound package and shifting the winding core in response to the lateral motion of the edge of the web so as to form a winding in which at least one edge of the web is flush throughout the convolutions oi the winding.

Another object of the invention is to provide a system particularly adapted for the collection of freshly produced films or pellicles formed by the extrusion'or casting of a plastic material, such as Websof cellophane, cellulose esters, vinyl resins; ,ccndensation polymers of which nylonv isarn example, and the like, wherein the edges or selvages of the pellicle have a bead, that is, somewhat greater thickness than the main body of the pellicle as a result of surface tension forces during the initial setting up of the pelhole. In order to provide a winding which does not have bulged edges or ends because of the beads, the system of the present invention includes the slitting or trimming off of the edges shortly before winding and this slitting is controlled in response to the lateral movement of at least one edge of the web.

An ancillary object is to provide a system for mounting the slitter knives on swivel bearings so that they may be shifted relative to a cooperating guiding member for supporting the web being slit without undue wear and friction.

An ancillary object is to provide a system for withdrawing the selvage at its position of slitting, such as by suction.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the drawing and the description thereof hereinafter.

In the drawing, which is illustrative of the the invention,

Figure 1 is a front elevation showing one embodiment for the collection of a web,

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional detail as seen at II-II of Figure l with the web shown threaded through the Winding machine,

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional detail as shown at III-III of Figure 1,

Figure 4 is an enlarged sectional detail as I seen at IV-IV of Figure 1,

Figure 5 is' a diagrammatic electrical circuit for the motor which raises and lowers the slitter,

Figure 6 is a diagrammatic circuit for the motor which shifts the winding shaft and slitter in response to lateral movement of one of the selvages, and

Figure '7 is a diagrammatic circuit of an independent motor for controlling another selvage slitter.

The embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings is particularly adapted to the collection of pellicles, such as of cellophane, in the form of a winding wherein at least one edge of the winding is flush with itself throughout all convolutions and the winding is substantial- 1y uniform in thickness throughout as a result of the slitting off of the selvages, thereby eliminating the bead formed during the production of the pellicle. The collecting and slitting system shown in the drawings may receive the pellicle from the drying rolls of a cellophane producing machine. However, the same embodiment may be employed for the collection of webs or the like which have no edge beads and r ire selvage removal or trimming, in which event, the slitters may be omitted or raised out of operative position during the collection of the web, unless it is desired to slit the web into smaller widths before collection.

As shown, the system comprises suitable supporting framework having the upright members 20 and 2| held together by suitable cross pieces comprising the channel 22. Between the uprights 28 and 2! or suitable brackets projecting therefrom, rolls 23, 2d and are rotatably supported. Rolls 23 and a; may be driven by any suitable means such as the pulleys or sprockets 2t and a belt or chain 25c thereabout which engages a pulley or sprocket 2'5 on a shaft 28 which is driven by a sprocket 29 in synchronisni with other rolls, such as the drier rolls from which the pellicle proceeds to the rolls 23 and as. Roll 25 may be driven or it may be idle as shown.

The pellicle P (see Fig. 2) passes over and about roll 23 and then over it and under 25 to the windup core 39 on the shaft 35. The shaft 3! is splined or keyed at 32 so that it may extend through a complementarily splined or keyed hub 33 of a sprocket 3&- which is driven by a chain 35 which in turn is driven by a sprocket 35 on the shaft 37 of the driving motor The splined connection between shaft 3! and sprocket at allows the motor 38 to rotate the shaft 3i while permitting the shaft 3! to be shifted axially during such rotation.

Above the roll 24, there is mounted a transverse supporting structure comprising a channel member 39 having endwise projecting trunnions 40 and 4| which are mounted rotatably in suitable bearings in the uprights 26 and 2! respectively. Brackets 32 are each secured to a tongued rear projection of a guide block 43, such as by means of a set screw t l. This set screw may be loosened to allow the bracket 2 to be shifted along the tongued projection to any position desired which may then be set with the screw A l. The guide 43 may have any length desired up to the full axial extent of the roll 25 depending on the number of slitters to be supported and their positions. The guide 43 (see particularly Fig. 3) is secured to one or more blocks it each provided with a bore 46 which fits about the reduced-diameter end of a rod and is secured thereon by a set screw 43 which permits relative rotation but no relative axial mot on between the rod 4'! and block 45. The rod ll extends through the trunnion it. Each block 5 has a reduced portion 49 which extends through a slot 56 in the channel 39. Su table can screws 59 secure the blo ks 63 a d 55 together. Rollers 52 are rotatablv mounted on stub shafts secured to the channel 39 on o posite sides of slot 59 and suitably grooved portions as o the block lt serve as tracks or uidewavs which receive and cooperate with the peri heries of rollers 52 so that. in e Fect. the assem la e of blo ks 53 and 435 constitutes a carria e on the former of which the bracket 32 is su o ted. T e bracket 4! sup orts a scannin head 55 comprising a hotocell 55c and a source of li ht 5b arr nge to d rect t e li ht a ainst the ro l 23 and the ed e of the web carried thereon. so that t e li ht refle ted to the photocell is de endent upon t e roportion of the photo ell el w ich is occu ied by the web. The roll 23 may be provided with a dark lightabsorbing coating, such as of slate or other black pigment.

One or more slitters may be attached to the bracket 32 for the purpose of trimming oii one or both marginal edges of the web and, if desired, to slit the web into one or more widths having any predetermined size. The bracket assemblies 42 may be used in pairs, individually, or in any greater number if desired. As shown in the drawings, there are two such assemblies and the reference characters used on each assembly denote identical parts. The slitter associated with each bracket assembly is supported in a housing 56 by bearings 53 and 5?, on which the slitter post Bil is journaled. The post 6% may be provided with an enlarged split snap ring collar 6! to prevent its dropping out of the housing. The lower end of the post til is provided with a yoke or bifurcated arm 82, the two branches of which terminate in a laterally extending transverse connecting plate 63. A pivot shaft 6 3 extends between the two branches of the yoke $2 and supports the bifurcated member or lever arm 65 between the two legs of which a shaft or pin 66 extends and. rotatably supports a slitter knife El. A spring 68 bears against the plate 63 and the interconnecting plate 69 of the bifurcated member 55. The spring 68 normally pivots arm 69 away from plate 63, thereby urging the knife 6'! into engagement with the cooperating roll 26 which may comprise an outer resilient cover 24a. of rubber or the like. A hopper it is placed below each slitter and is connected to a main suction duct ii by suitable branch ducts F2. The duct it may be connected to a suction fan or pump or an air injection device may be provided in the branch ducts ?2 near each hopper it, as at Ma, to create suction therein. This system serves to withdraw the selvages trimmed by the slitter knives.

The edge slitter on the right side (as viewed in Fig. 1) of the web may be controlled independently. Independent control is shown in Figure 1. The structure comprising bracket 42, and guide block 43 for supporting the separate scanning head and slitter (designated 67a) is the same in this case but the block 45 has a threaded bore 36a which engages a threaded rod i'la which extends through the trunnion 4| and carries fixedly on its end a sprocket or pulley H8 driven by a chain or belt H! which in turn is driven by a sprocket or pulley M6 on shaft H5 of the gear reducer H4 driven by the reversible motor H3- as more particularly explained hereinbelow.

The support 39 may be rotated or oscillated to and from its normal operating position in which the photocell scanning head or heads 55 are disposed in proximity to the roll 23. This rotation is eiiected by the reversible motor 73. The motor '13 drives the output shaft of a reducing gear to which shaft there is secured one member of a friction clutch 85, the other member of which is connected to the sprocket or pulley 8! which drives a sprocket or pulley 88 by means of a belt or chain 39. Pulley 38 is secured to a shaft 99 which fixedly carries a worm 9! which drives a worm wheel 92, the hub of which is secured to the trunnion to.

Support 39 is rotated in one direction by motor 53 to raise the scanning head when push button 74 (see Fig. 5) is pressed, lowered to operative position when push button is is pressed, and may be automatically controlled by the two-bladed switch is (shown in automatic position). This automatic control involves the raising of the scanner head or heads, and the slitters when such are used, away from the roll 23 when theswitch Tlhavingthe feeler or finger it is closed by the detent T9 fixedly secured to the rod 57. Detent wand switch ll serve to raise the slitters when excessive lateral motion of the web occurs which would be indicative of a serious tearing of the web, and particularly a complete transverse rupture thereof. Of course, if the machine were operating on a web which didznot require slitting and the knives were omitted or not positioned in operative relation to the roll 24; the automatic circuit involving switch it, switch i? and detent '19- could be omitted.

Normally closed switches to and iii provided withdetector fingers 82 and 322 respectively are disposed as shown in Figures 4 and 5 in such position as to be operated by a projection from the trunnion 46. These switches control the limit of lowering or raising when push buttons '55 and "respectively are pressed down.

As shown in Figure 4, the worm 8! is provided with projections 93 and 93 at each end thereof which selectively engage a lug t i onthe worm wheel 92 thereby providing an additional step-- ping means to mechanically limit the rotation of trunnion Ad to less than one complete turn when it is rotated in the direction to lower the scanning head or heads and slitting knives into cp erative position. The friction clutch ermits the worm wheel to be mechanically locked in this fashion without damage to the mechanism even though the circuit to the motor 53 is closed.

The scanning head 55 at the left of the machine is'normally positioned during operation oithe system adjacent the edge or theweb about the blackened surface roller 23. It is connected by any suitable circuit; such as that shown in Figure 6, to a reversible motor as which drives a screw 96 in one direction or the other to shift the support .5? for the winding shaf iii. For this purpose, the support 97! may have an extension 98 provided with an internally threaded bore to engage the screw 96. The screw as is driven from the motor 95 by suitable means comprising a sprocket 99 on the motor shaft not which drives a chain it! which in turn drives a sprocket I02 on the threaded rod so. The axial motion of shaft 3i impartedto it by the motor 95 is transmitted to the rod dl through the lever or arm Hi3. which is fixedly secured to a shaft te l rotatably mounted ina fixed sleeve W5. Shaft 31 is rotatable with respect to yoke Sta but axial movement of shaft 3! is transmitted to yoke 36a by means of a coupling 3%. Shaft led has fixed to it a lever or arm the which is connected to therod 4'? by means of the link. ml. The rod 47 may slidethrough suitable bearings such as that at I03. Limit switches the and Hi! may be mounted on the. support as so that their fingers Ill and H2 respectively may be actuated by the block 45 when the rod li undergoes an excessive lateral motion which occasionally may occur such as when the web ruptures.

As stated hereinabove, the support 38 may carry aplurality of slitters each connected to the rod 41 to divide the web into a number of widths and/or to sever or trim off the other selvage so that the coils of the web wound on the winding core wouldconsist either of (l) a single winding having uniform width from which the beaded edges have been trimmed or (2) a plurality of windings each of desiredwidth which would be uniform in each of the individual windings. When all of the slitters are controlled by rod ll, a single scanning head associated with one edge of the sheet. may beused butas shown, the rod 41 actuates.v only a single slitter. to trim off" one oi? the edges of a sheet in response to the signal derived. from a scanning head associated with that edge just before slitting and the other edge is trimmed independently by a slitter knife controlled by a separate scanning head.

When the slitter knife 67a is independently controlled as shown, limit switches M3904. and I la having feelers Illa, and Ilia respectively are mounted on the support 39 and cooperate with one of the blocks d5 closest to knife 67a in a fashion similar to the limit switches I09 and H0 at the other side of the support 39 and serve to stop the operation of the motor H3 when excessive lateral motion of the web occurs.

Any suitable circuit may be employed for connecting the several control switches with the. respective motors. In the several circuits shown in Figures 5 to 7 respectively, conventional representation is utilized and the various junctions or terminals bearing given numbers are connected by the conductors extending from such terminals to. the terminals at the other ends of the conductors bearing corresponding reference numerals. In these several views, the starting switch box is represented in the dotted outline bearing reference character #20, and the master switches connecting the line E2! to the starting box 12s are not shown. The control switches are shown in the dotted outline i222 and legends are applied adjacent the push buttons of the control switch to indicate the effect of the several buttons. The dotted line shown between the two contactor blades of the hand-automatic switch represents merely a mechanical interlock, not an electrical connection. These switches are shown in automatic position in Figures 5 and 7 and in hand position in Figure. 6.

In Figures 6 and 7, the scanning heads are diagrammatically shown and designated by reference character Each is connected through a suitable amplifier 23 to a pair of relays each or which is actuated by one of the coils !24 and E25 respectively. The first relay when coil I24 is, energized opens the normally closed contacts at lilac and closes the normally open contacts at 5242; whereas energization of I25 opens the normally closed contacts l25a and closes simultaneously the. normally open contacts M51). The coils E2 and E25 are selectively operated depending upon whether the light reflected to the photocell increases or decreases from the value corresponding to that of the position where the edge of the sheet is substantially half way into the visual field of the photocell. Any suitable electron c circuit may be employed for causing increase in light reflected to energize coil E25 an decrease in light reflected to energize coil cop-ending patent application of Michael Gravatt Jones, No. 222cm, filed April 23, 1951, wherein coils 19a and 199 correspond to the coils and 125. The circuit should be adjusted to minimize hunting in conventional fashion.

Gne such circuit is shown in Figure 5 of a Similarly, in

head is similarly connected through the amplifier I23 to coils mi and I25 which are selectively operated to drive the motor H3 in the proper direction to move the slitter on the right com pensate for the lateral movement of the edge the web. Of course, if all of the slitters are controlled by the rod 51, the motor i it the scan ning head on the right side or" the equipment as viewed in Figure 1 along with the circuit shown in Figure '7 can be omitted or rendered inoperative.

The present invention provides a simple and effective system for Winding a continuously mor ing web at the completion of some stage of processing or handling, such as in a filmmroducing machine, a liquid treating dyeing machine, coating machine, a drying or the like. As stated hereinabove, the invention involves the shifting of the winding core axially in accorda .ce with any lateral movement of the edge of the web being w md so that at least one edge of the we nd 13 .zage is and even throughout the windings or convolutions thereof. When a material having a rough edge, or an edge of irregular form, either in contour or thickness, is handled, the system of the present invention trims either one or bot edges r to winding and the width of the et wound be uniform throughout the winding or, desired, an independent slitter provided one edge or selvage may control the trimming of that selva c so as to take off a definite width irrespective whether the web proceeding to the t: min tion is initially uniform in width or not.

individually swivelly mounted allows them to be shif ed axially of the cooperating roll aga which they bear during cutting of the web out being dragged across the surface of the or its roll covering. This not only reduces wear on the knife or knives but also on the roli surface or its roll cover, thereby prolonging the useful life and eficient operation of the knives and associated roll.

It is to be understood that changes and vari s tions may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

We claim:

i. met od oi winding pellicles, films and the ,ing the steps of guiding the pelliele iding core, trimming at least one edge of the poll o s it proceeds to the winding core, detecting l movement of said edge of the is as it proceeds to the winding core, and 1g the trimming line, the detecting line, the win ing core axially in response to the is eral mo ent of said edge.

-3. Means for collecting a continuously travelling web of indefinite length comprising a winding core, means for rotating the core, means for removing a marginal portion of the web along an edge thereof, means for detecting lateral movement of the edge of the web, and means operatively connected to the detecting means ior shifting the removing means and the winding core axially in response to lateral movement of the web.

3. Apparatus for collecting a continuously travelling web of indefinite length comprising a winding core, means for rotating the winding core, means for shifting the winding core axially,

roll

means adjacent an edge of the web shortly in advance of the winding core for detecting lateral movement of the web, slitting means adjacent the detecting means for trimming oil the edges of web, means for shifting the slitting means. and means interconnecting the detector means with the shifting means to actuate the means for shifting both the winding core and the slitting means.

4. The method of claim 1 in which the three shifting steps are performed simultaneously.

5. The method of claim 1 in which the trimming line, the detecting line and. the winding core are shifted in the same direction in equal increments.

6. The method of claim 1 in which the trimming line, the detecting line and the winding core are simultaneously shifted in the same direction in equal increments.

7. In sheet winding apparatus of the type having a frame, a winding core journaled in said frame, means for both turning and shifting the winding core on its axis, and sheet edge detecting means, the sub-combination which comprises a roll over which the sheet is fed prior to being wound on the winding core, a cross member mounted in the frame and extending transversely of the sheet in spaced relation to said roll, at least one bracket slid-ably mounted on said cross member, sheet slitting means mounted on said bracket, sheet edge detecting means mounted on said bracket, means responsive to the sheet edge detecting means for sliding the bracket in the supporting member, and means interconnected with said last-named means for simultav neously moving the winding core axially in increments corresponding to movement of the bracket.

3. Apparatus as defined in claim 7 in which the web edge detecting means is a photoelectric cell and the roll is provided with a relatively dark light-absorbing material.

9. Apparatus as defined in claim 7 in which the slitting means comprises a roller journaled on a post in the bracket and the post being loosely journaled in the bracket to permit automatic transverse movement of the slitting roller while the sheet is being fed over the roll at high speed.

10. Apparatus as defined in claim '7 having an electrical circuit for actuating the sliding means and a pair of limit switches mounted on the cross member to open said circuit upon predetermined maximum travel of the bracket in the cross member.

11. Apparatus as defined in claim 10 having a MICHAEL GRAVATT JONES. ARTHUR O. RUSSELL.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 341,895 Edmunds May 18, 1886 1,062,423 Steber May 20, 1913 1,333,588 Lewis Mar. 9, 1920 1,741,520 Jagenberg Dec. 31, 1929 2,082,635 Johnstone June 1, 1937 2,088,473 Gulliksen July 27, 1937 2,212,457 Schrier Aug. 20, 1940 2,281,965 Wylie May 5, 1942 2,428,430 Mong Oct. 7, 1947' 2,434,128 Stanford Jan. 6, 1948 

